


Truth Complicates Things

by dee_thehoneybee



Series: Jason and Malcolm [1]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:33:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23144749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dee_thehoneybee/pseuds/dee_thehoneybee
Summary: Jason must have let himself in.Malcolm rounded the corner and saw Jason standing in the kitchen. He had his back turned to Malcolm and was stirring something on the back burner, supposedly part of the dinner Jason had laid across the counter.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Jason and Malcolm [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663702
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Truth Complicates Things

**Author's Note:**

> requested by anonymous: Do you think you could write a small blurb of Malcom and a male OC you can make up, maybe getting into a disagreement over him seeing his father with some angst. Love love your blog and I’m happy you accept the idea of Malcom being bi.

No one ever said police work was easy.

By the time Malcolm reached the stairs of his loft apartment, he was mentally and physically drained. But there was a suspicious smell wafting from his residence that piqued his interest, keeping him on his toes. It smelled like something out of a five start restaurant. Which Malcolm thought was odd, considering he had never even used the stove here.

Jason must have let himself in.

Malcolm rounded the corner and saw Jason standing in the kitchen. He had his back turned to Malcolm and was stirring something on the back burner, supposedly part of the dinner Jason had laid across the counter.

“You know, I didn’t give you the key so you could make me dinner. I can feed myself.” There was a smile in Malcolm’s voice as he crossed the floor to stand behind Jason.

“Yeah, but you never eat anything with substance. Last week, all you ate was rice and toast.”

It was true, Malcolm had a week stomach. Most foods made him sick. Maybe it was the taste or the texture, or the way they mixed with his medication that had his stomach in knots. But from his perspective, there was nothing wrong with eating rice and toast. At least he was eating something.

Malcolm threw an arm around Jason and buried his nose in the man’s collarbone, asking for attention. Jason responded by turning his head so he could kiss Malcolm’s lips.

Malcolm returned the gesture, but noticed something amiss in the way Jason kissed. There was no tenderness in his lips, no sweetness or smile. Not even the passion they sometimes shared. Instead it was cold and terse, like he was kissing an automatronic version of his partner.

Malcom tried not to let the disappointment show on his face as they pulled away, but Jason wouldn’t even look at him. Instead, he turned back to the stove and continued to stir whatever he was cooking.

Malcolm watched Jason for a few seconds. He didn’t understand what was wrong. Had he done something wrong? Was the joke about cooking him dinner offensive in some way? He was a profiler. He ought to be able to figure it out, but his partner was giving him nothing to go on.

“Um, we’re working on a list of suspects with our case right now.” Malcolm tried to shake it off, pretend like maybe he had read that signal wrong. He sat down of the other side of the counter and watched Jason stir. “Gil thinks it’s the spouse, but I think there’s something the daughter isn’t telling us.”

“Oh yeah? What makes you say that?” There was something in the way Jason spoke. “Did your dad suggest that?”

The implication made a chill run down Malcolm’s spine.

“What?” He tried to sound confused, tried to act innocent. He had been hiding his visits from everyone so well. Surely Jason didn’t know. “I haven’t seen my dad in years. You know that.”

Jason finally turned around, giving Malcolm his full attention. His brow was furrowed and his lips pursed together to make a thin line. Vaguely, Malcolm realized this was the first time he had ever seen Jason get angry.

“I found your visitor’s badge, Malcolm.” Suddenly the charade was over. “I came by because I wanted to cook you dinner. Because I noticed how stressed you’ve been lately–I wanted to do something for you. But when I started cooking, I realized I didn’t bring any knives, so I was looking in your drawers and… there it was. Staring right at me.”

“Look, Jason, it’s not what you think–“

“I sure hope not! Do you know how stupid it would be to go visit him?” Jason scrubbed a hand over his face. “Of course you do, because you’re Malcolm Bright and you know everything.”

“I’m just consulting with him for our case!”

“The badge was dated last week! How long have you been seeing him?”

Malcolm hesitated. He didn’t want to lie to his partner, but he knew the truth would only complicate things further.

“About a month now–“

“I knew it! You’ve been acting so weird lately. You won’t eat, you won’t sleep, your hand’s been shaking more than normal. Are you at least still taking your meds?”

“Jason please, I think… I think there’s more than I remember about the night I called the police on my father. There’s something he’s not telling me and I have to know what happened! The girl in the box–she was real. I need to know what happened to her! Who was she?”

Jason looked at Malcom with sympathetic eyes. He leaned over the counter and placed a gentle hand on Malcolm’s cheek. Malcolm leaned into the touch.

“Malcolm… the police looked everywhere. There was no girl. Even Gil said so.”

Malcolm jerked his head away and refused to look at his partner. “They’re wrong. I know it.”

The silence after that moment was deafening. It was clear neither was going to back down. After the long wait, Jason was the first to speak.

“I can’t… I can’t do this, Malcolm.” He pulled the towel off his shoulder and set in on the counter. Malcolm watched as he turned the stove off and moved the pot to an empty burner before shaking his head.

This wasn’t how Malcolm expected their night to go.

He watched silently as Jason shuffled around the counter to stand next to him. Jason kissed his forehead with all the tenderness that had been missing before. Except now the tenderness had been contaminated by a sadness deep inside. Malcolm shut his eyes and tried to hold on to the moment.

When he opened his eyes, Jason was gone…


End file.
